Page 50 of Venomous Kiss

My hands drop, and Arlo steps away and moves next to her. His back is to me as he leans over and whispers in her ear. She turns her head to him and nods before her chocolate-colored eyes find mine again. Maybe I should just kill him now. To say I’m jealous that he has been spending time with her would be an understatement.

“What did you say?” I growl at Arlo, but he strides off without responding. I watch him go, then turn my attention to her and ask, “What did he say?”

“That he’ll see me next week,” she answers. “Reon, why are you threatening your friend?”

“He isn’t my friend. I don’t have friends.”

“Maybe that’s the problem.”

I step closer, and she stays still as people walk around her.

“And what about you? How many friends do you have?”

“I have Arlo,” she says.

Toe to toe now, leaning down so my face is in her space, and her eyes flutter. “You don’t have Arlo. He will deceive you. It’s what he’s good at. He is the best at manipulation.”

“I have Arlo to talk to, Reon. He’s a therapist. Maybe you should see one.” She backs away from me, and I take a step toward her.

I won’t let her escape me again.

“Why have you been hiding from me?” I ask, lifting a hand and brushing her hair from her face. “You know, I always find my caterpillar one way or another.”

She releases a shaky breath. “It needs to stop. We need to stop.”

“We found each other. Why would we stop?”

She pushes my hand away and shakes her head. “Don’t, Reon. Just don’t.”

I grab her face with both hands and lean down so my mouth is inches from hers. “I can’t, Caterpillar. I’m utterly addicted, and once I work a way out of this mess, I will find you. And I will have you.”

“What if I’ve moved on?” she asks, and I can’t take my eyes away from her lips.

“You haven’t. You can’t. You’re as fixated on me as I am on you. I’ll do whatever it takes to have you, even if that means putting every Society member six feet under the ground.”

“You…” She trails off and tries to pull away from me, but I push up against her and back her up against the wall. “It was all a mistake.”

“Where is the knife, Caterpillar?”

“I…”

“You hold on to it because you like it. It reminds you of me. And that night.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” The lie slips from her plush lips easily.

“But I do.” I lean in. “Because when I close my eyes at night, I dream of you.” I pull back.

“Go back home to her. It’s where you belong,” she snaps, then turns and rushes down the sidewalk.

“I belong wherever you are, Caterpillar,” I shout after her with a grin, and she flips me off over her shoulder. I think my heart just pitter-pattered a little harder.

Fuck, I’m done for.

TWENTY

LILITH

I have questions.